Network Architect

Network Service Delivery Principal

Location: Wokingham (3–5 days per week onsite)

Start: ASAP

Contract: 6 months initially

Rate: £420 per day (Inside IR35)

Overview

Our client is seeking a visionary, highly technical Network Service Delivery Principal to lead the strategic design, evolution, and governance of a complex enterprise network estate.

This is a senior, hands‑off architecture and leadership role. While engineering teams focus on delivery and operations, this position defines the network blueprint they build from—bridging business strategy and technical execution across on‑prem, cloud, and hybrid environments.

You will architect scalable, automated, and secure network solutions spanning LAN, WAN (including SD‑WAN), cloud (AWS/Azure), and data centres, while driving the adoption of Network DevOps and Infrastructure as Code at an architectural level. Acting as a technical authority, you will guide senior stakeholders, mentor engineers, and ensure the network estate is resilient, programmable, and future‑ready.

Key Responsibilities

Network Architecture & Strategy

* Define and govern the overarching enterprise network architecture, covering LAN, WAN (SD‑WAN), cloud platforms (AWS/Azure), and data centres

* Translate business objectives into clear architectural standards, roadmaps, and best practices

* Design scalable, automated, and secure network solutions aligned to long‑term strategic goals

* Partner closely with cloud, infrastructure, application teams, and external providers to ensure seamless integration across hybrid environments

* Act as the senior technical authority on network architecture, emerging technologies, and industry best practice

Network Security Leadership

* Own the end‑to‑end network security architecture across on‑prem, cloud, and hybrid environments

* Design and govern secure network segmentation, including Zero Trust models, next‑generation firewalls, and secure connectivity (Direct Connect, Transit Gateway, Zscaler‑delivered services)

* Define, publish, and enforce enterprise network security standards, conducting regular architectural reviews

* Develop and maintain a 12–24 month network security technology roadmap, with strong focus on automation and orchestration

* Act as the highest escalation point for complex network security incidents, performing root‑cause analysis and designing permanent architectural solutions

* Monitor emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and trends, proactively evolving the security architecture

DevOps, Automation & Leadership

* Drive adoption of Network DevOps and Infrastructure as Code principles at an architectural level

* Promote programmability, resilience, and operational efficiency through automation

* Provide technical mentorship and leadership to engineering and operations teams

* Foster a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and architectural excellence

Skills & Experience

* 8+ years in network engineering, with 3+ years in a Network Principal, Architect, or Lead role designing enterprise‑scale or global networks

* Proven ability to design holistic architectures balancing performance, security, cost, and automation

Expert‑level knowledge of:

* Routing & switching: BGP, OSPF, VXLAN, MPLS

* Core networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, UDP

* Enterprise technologies: Cisco (routing, switching, Wi‑Fi), firewalls, load balancers (F5 or similar), SD‑WAN

* Cloud networking: AWS & Azure (VPCs, Transit Gateway, PrivateLink, Direct Connect, NAT, Security Groups, Cloud WAN)

* Network monitoring, observability, and IPAM at scale

Network DevOps & Automation

* Strong experience architecting Infrastructure as Code for networking (Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible)

* Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, Git, and automated testing of network configurations

* Ability to design scalable, well‑documented, standards‑driven automation frameworks

Desirable Certifications

* Architecture/Security: TOGAF, SABSA, CISSP‑ISSAP

* Vendor: CCNP/CCDE/CCIE, PCNSE, NSE 7/8

* Cloud/DevOps: AWS or Azure Professional, HashiCorp

If you have the relevant skills & experience, please apply promptly to be considered